At least 30 people have died in flash floods in Kalaw Township, southern Shan State, one of Myanmar’s most popular tourist destinations, and the death toll is expected to rise further as dozens of people remained missing as of Tuesday, according to rescue workers and volunteers assisting the victims.
“As of today, we have recovered 13 bodies. Other rescue teams are also working to collect bodies and transport them to hospitals in Kalaw and nearby towns,” said a member of the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) involved in the relief efforts.
The catastrophe began on Sept. 10 when heavy rainfall triggered massive runoff from nearby mountains, causing the Kalaw Creek to overflow and inundate most of the township.
The floodwaters receded by Tuesday, revealing the devastating aftermath: at least 250 homes destroyed and over 600 other structures, including hotels and souvenir shops, damaged, according to the rescue teams.
Local residents sheltering in monasteries and schools in elevated areas of the town after being evacuated by rescue teams said Wards 2, 3 and 4 are the worst-affected areas in the town, but villages in the lower part of Kalaw are also badly affected.
“The rescue team in our Ward 3 said that in that ward alone they had found nine bodies as of Monday morning. The death toll couldn’t be less than a few dozen. We also saw a couple of houses floating down the creek with families inside them shouting for help,” said a 30-year-old female resident of Kalaw.
A member of a team that participated in rescue activities on Sept. 13 and 14 in Wards 2 and 4 near the creek said they found at least 11 bodies.
Younger Kalaw residents said it was the worst flooding they had ever seen. Those old enough to remember the floods of 1993 said it was the worst they had experienced since then.
Rescue teams in Kalaw are still in need of food, medical supplies and clothes sufficient for thousands of displaced residents. Residents said junta officials had provided some food to the shelters, but it was not enough and people have had to find their own supplies.
Dozens of people are still missing, a local recuse team member said.
“They are from families in the town and nearby villages along the creek. We’re extending our reach to these villages, hoping to minimize further loss of life,” said Ko Ye, a member of a rescue team assisting people in Kalaw.
In a poignant scene, Ma Sandar, who lost track of her mother in the floodwaters on Sept. 10, was reunited with her at a temporary camp set up for flood victims at the town’s Myoma monastery.
Her heartfelt wish echoed the sentiments of many others: “May all families with missing loved ones find them as soon as possible.”
